Twisted Metal
Twisted build a customised Defender 110 for the bearded adventurer otherwise known as Sean Conway
Sean Conway is presented with a customised Defender 110 fit for his latest venture by Twisted
Most of you would’ve read about the extreme athlete Sean Conway in this magazine. In the past we’ve written about his 300Tdi Defender 110 (currently up for sale) and then more recently we covered his evergrowing collection of classic Land Rovers. So it might surprise some of you when I refer to Sean as ordinary. In fact, he’s very ordinary, at least when it comes to his choice of vehicle. Because just like all LRM readers, he too drives a Land Rover.
In case you’ve not heard of Sean, he is the crazy chap who completed the world’s longest triathlon, 4200 tough miles. Incredibly he cycled, swam and ran the length of Britain. Then, just for good measure, he sailed the length of our great country in just over 83 hours. He’s also cycled round the world. So, I guess in that respect, he’s by no means what you could really describe as being ordinary. Maybe that’s why Twisted Automotive, who have very much taken an anti-ordinary approach to life and the Defenders they sell and prepare, have announced Sean Conway as their latest brand ambassador. To celebrate this partnership they have prepared a unique Defender 110 for Sean, which he will be using as a support vehicle for his latest challenge and world record attempt. Sean plans to cycle the 8500 miles of Australian coastline. Not only that, he wants to do it quickly, cycling 20 hours and more than 240 miles a day for 35 consecutive days. Yes, you read that correctly.
Sean was born in Zimbabwe, so he has Land Rover in his blood. He currently resides in the Lake District – the perfect place to be if you’re into running and cycling. With him is his Series III SWB, which he describes as something for driving on special occasions. His other Land Rover, his daily drive, is a softdash 300Tdi Range Rover that Sean has owned for many years now. He also has his aforementioned 1989 110, known as Mana, up for sale. It is more than capable and as such has accompanied him on many of his adventures – the only reason he is selling Mana is that he needs a Defender with rear seats and five doors for his latest venture Down Under.
His Land Rover dream has always been to have an old Camel Trophy Defender; the closest he has come to owning one of those is his Camel Trophy wallet. It too has been on an adventure or two and it’s looking a bit bashed and battered. His lifelong ambition finally came true when he turned 36 years old and Twisted presented him with a specially-prepared Defender 110.
Sean’s latest Defender started out life as a standard 2012 (62 reg) Defender 110 2.2-litre TDCI, five-door utility model. That was before Twisted made a few modifications, some cosmetic and others to adapt the Defender to Sean’s individual needs and requirements. All of this was done with his forthcoming world record attempt to cycle around the Australian coast in mind.
Twisted engineer Rob Lewis took on the task of creating Sean’s dream Defender. According to Rob it is still pretty much standard when it comes to specification. They have tried to keep it simple just in case it needs repairs in a remote location.
Performance-wise, the 2.2 engine was remapped increasing the power output from the standard 122 bhp by around 50 bhp, while to handle the extra power the suspension was uprated with Bilstein dampers all round, but it has retained the standard springs.
Smart new Twisted wheels with BF Goodridge KO2 265/75/16 tyres have been fitted along with a Hannibal roof rack,
“Sean’s story and achievements make him the perfect fit for Twisted’s latest ambassador”
complete with jerrycan holders and four Lightforce lamps fitted to the front of the rack. It can get pretty dark in the Outback. A snorkel was also fitted: an essential accessory when trying to cross a water-filled creek.
The Defender also had chequer plate fitted to the wings, but it was the interior that underwent the biggest transformation visually. The centre dash was colour-coded to match the exterior of the vehicle, which was repainted. The rear windows were tinted for privacy – remember Sean is planning to live in the Defender during his adventure trips.
To that end a bed was fitted along with essential storage nets. There are several beds available for a Defender 110, however none would fit Sean’s requirements. Firstly, it needed to be foldable so that the rear seats could be used. Secondly, Sean also wanted space in the back of the 110 alongside the bed for his bicycle, keeping it safe while he slept during his adventures, and it was this requirement that proved the biggest big challenge for Twisted. No bed of this size was commercially available so Rob at Twisted had to design and build one, which is full length when the rear seats are folded up and just wide enough for two people plus a bike.
The finer details of the Defender came as a total surprise to Sean on the day he collected it at Twisted’s premises in Thirsk. As the workshop doors lifted Sean saw the Defender for the first time, and he simply couldn’t believe his eyes. His jaw apparently dropped and his eyes looked as if they might pop out of his head. The only words Sean could muster were “Oh Man”, as he then took a run and leaped onto the wing. This was swiftly followed by a bouncing session on the roof rack. At least this act of enthusiasm for his new toy proved that the chequer plate would protect the wings, while the roof rack could take Sean’s weight.
After finally seeing the paint in the flesh, Sean had to admit that his dream had come true. He described it as “a nod back to the Camel Trophy years”, and due to its outrageous hue he instantly decided to christen it Colonel Mustard.
After taking a long and meticulous look around the Defender, Rob showed him the workings of the various customised bits, including the bed, which Sean just had to try out straight away, of course. There was also a special reference to something Sean is known for on social media, his hashtag #Findyourbeard, was inscribed onto the special Defender plaque on the back.
Twisted founder and owner Charlie Fawcett explained that since the formation of the company in 2000, they have dedicated themselves to celebrating the anti-ordinary through the improvement, restoration and reengineering of Land Rover Defenders and that Sean’s own story and his achievements as an extreme endurance adventurer, make him the perfect fit as their latest ambassador.
Sean will be flying the Twisted flag on his Australian coast cycle and provide regular blog and social media updates as he continues to push the boundaries of adventure and exploration in his Twisted Defender.